Hydraulic machine



March 19. 1929' v. E. ANDERSON 1,706,372

HYDRAULIC MACHINE Filed June 28, 1925 f l r i. :1.

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Patented kMar. 19, l19129.

n .lTIEDJ STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

VICTOR n. ANDERSON, orwirzs'r` ALLIs,fwIsCoNsIN,v lAssIerNoRfroALLIsCRALMnRs MANUFACTURING COMPANY, or MILWAUKEE, wIsCoNsIN, AvcoRPoRATIeN o1` DELAWARE.

Application ledJune 28,

This `invention relates in general tojimprovements in the constructionand operation of hydraulic machines, and relates more specifically toimproved mechanism Jfor operating the inlet guidevanes of hydraulicturbines or the like. s

An object of the-:invention is toprovide new and usefulv improvements invhydraulic machines whereby the construction thereof is simplified andthe operating etliciency thereof is enhanced.- i

` It is common'practice in the construction of hydraulic turbinesv ofthe reaction type, to operate an annular series of pivotally supportedinlet guide vanes, by Ineansof one or more fluid pressure actuatedservo-motors arranged to simultaneously adjust all of the vanes. Theseservo-motors, in accordance with the priorpractice, have been mountedupon the pit rings of the units thereby necessitating the `provision ofrelatively heavy pit ring castings. AVliththe prior arrangements ofservo-motors, it was notonly necessary-to provide relatively heavypit'rings in order to 'withstand the pressure and to provide substantialsupports for the servo-motors,l

but itV was also necessary insome instances to make the pit ofrelatively large diameter, in order to accommodate the mounting of the`servo-motors. 'The disposition of the servo-motors upon the pit ringwalls,' also provided undesirable obstructions which hindered access tothegate riggings.v

' The present invention comprises means whereby these objectionableVfeatures of the prior servo-motor mountings,"' are entirely eliminated.`'In 1 accordance `with the im# provement kthe servomotors aremounted'directlyrupon the turbine `casing"within the annulus of theinlet guide vanes. Such disposition oftheservoanotors not onlyl enablesthe use of a relativelylight pit ring liner, but permits reduction' ofthe pit diameter to a'ininimum whilestill permitting free access,

to all portions of the'gateriggings. There'-vv action resulting fromoperation of thepinlet guide vanes is taken up directly inthe turbinestructure and need not beft'ransmitted through adjacent structure 'suchas pit ring Cil liners. These and other advantages of the presentiinprovementwill appear from the kfollowing description.' v

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention may be had byreferringto the drawing accompanying and forming a part HYDRAULIC'MACHINE.V

1926. sei-iai No. 118,936. .y

'-type, having the inlet guide vane actuating servo-motors mounteduponthe top casing or cover of the unit.

Fig. Qis lan enlarged fragmentary part sectional top view of thevimproved gate lrig- -gin n y Y The hydraulicturbine unit specilicallyillustrated in the drawing, comprises in general a high-speed axial flowrotorQ secured to the lower end of a-vertical main shaft 25, and housedwithin a casing comprising an upper casing or. cover plate 7 andva'lowerk casing section 9. The inlet side of the rotor 2 is in opencommunication with a vane free transition space 5 which communicates'withA a water supply conduit 3 past they 'annular series of adjustableinlet guide vanes 6, and through a speed ring ,26. The cover plate v7providesa support -for a guide wall8 eX- tending 'downwardlyr into thetransition space 5 and'p'rovidinga housing for a guide bearing 27associated with the shaft 25. The discharge end of the rotor 2 isfinopen vcornmunication` with a draft tube'll, this draft tube being formedin the foundation 1() which also'provides a support for the cas-Vingelements and'- for the vspeed `ring '26.

pair of servo-motors each'comprising a cyl-V inder 17 and a'piston 16reciprocable therein, are rigidly attached to a supporting bracket 18ywhich is irmly secured to the' cover' plate 7 'by fastening Vmeans 19.The piston'16 of each of the servo-motors has a pistonv rod 15 securedto the adjacent lug 23er the ring14; by means of'a pin 24. The forwardtravel oteach piston 16 is'limited Aby adjustable stopsQO, while therearward travel thereof is likewise limited by an adj ust-able stop 22.

Fluid under pressure may be admitted to anddiseharged from the chamberswithin the cylinders 17 at the opposite ends of the pistons 16, throughsuitable fluid admission and exhaust pipes 21.

Duringnormal operation of the unit, the turbine regulator functions toadmit fluid to the servo-motors in a Well known manner and to therebyadjust the inlet guide vanes 6 to admit Water from the supply conduit 3through the transition space 5 to the ro-tor 2. The water after leavingthe rotor 2, is delivered to the draft tube t and from thence to thetail-race in an obvious manner. The movement of the guide vanes 6 islimited by the adj ust-ment ot the stops 20, 22 and the reactionresulting from shifting oi' the guide vanes 6 is transmitted to thecover plate 7 through the bracket 18.

By disposing the servo-motors closely adjacent to the main shaft 25 andWithin the annulus of the series oit vanes 6, the diameter of the pitmay obviously be reduced to a minimum and the guide vane adjusting arms12and links 13 are freely accessible Without obstruction by theservo-motor structure. rllhe pit may obviously have a relatively thinlining in view of the factthat the servo-motors are not associatedthere- With in any manner. The bracket 18 may also be omitted from thestructure and formed integrall with the servo-motor cylinders 17, or thecylinders may be attached directly to the cover plate 7, Withoutdeparting from the present invention.

Since the servo-motor cylinders 17 are ordinarily supplied With Huidunder pressure derived from a common source, and are interconnected bymeans of piping, the loc( tion of these cylinders at one side of a planecontaining the rotor axis, simplies the arrangement of the Huid'conducting pipe and avoids undesirable obstruction of the pit on theopposite side of said plane. By. virtue o the fact that the servo-motorsdeliver actuating motion substantially in a tangential direction vvithrespect ,tov the arcs of movement of the pins 24, undesirable binding ofthe parts and consequent loss ofpovver, are eliminated.

It should be understood that it is not desired to limit the invention tothe exact details of construction and operation herein shown anddescribed, for various modifications Within the scope of the claims mayoccur to persons skilled' in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent: v Y

1. In combina-tion, a casing comprising a cover plate, a rotor Withinsaid casing, an annular series of guide vanes within said easing randsurrounding the axis of said rotor, a'shifting ring for simultaneouslyadjusting said vanes, said ring having actuating pins associatedtherewith on opposite sides of the rotor axis, and a pair of servomotorssupported upon said cover plate and operatively associated With saidpins, said servo-motors being disposed substantially at one side of aplane containing the rotor axis and delivering actuating motionsubstantially tangentially relative tothe axis of movement or' saidpins. Y

2. In combination, a ,casing comprising a cover plate, ,a rotor Withinsaid casing, an annularseries of guide vanes Within said casing and.surrounding the axis of said axis and delivering actuating motionsubstantially tangentially relative to the axis of movement of saidring.

3. In combination, ay casing comprising a cover plate, a rotor Withinsaid casing, an annular series of guide vanes Within said casing andsurrounding ythe axis of said rotor, a shifting ring for simultaneouslyadjusting said vanes, said ring having diametrically opposite actuatingpins located Within the ring, and a pair of double acting servo-motorssupported upon said cover plate and operatively associated with saidpins, said servo-motors being disposed enitirely at one side of a planecontaining the rotor V`axis and delivering actuating motion tangentiallyof said pins; f

4C., In combination, a casing comprising a cover plate, a rotor Withinsaid casing, an annular series of guide vanes Within said casing',andv-surfroimding the axis of. said rotor, a shifting ring forsimultaneouslyadjust-ing said vanes, said ring having diametricallyopposite actuating pins located within the ring, a bracket supported bysaid Vcover plate within said ring, and a pair of double actingservo-motors carried by said bracket and operatively-associated withsaid ring, saidservo-motors being disposed entirely at one side of aplane ,containing the rotor axis and delivering actuating motiontangentially relative to the arcs of movement of said pins. Y

In testimony Whereof,the signature .of the inventor is affixed hereto.

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relativeto the arcs of movement

